Assessing the Psychological and Physical Impact of Wearing Personal Protective Equipment on Health Care Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: Healthcare workers (HCWs) are part of the front-line warriors in this ongoing battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. We aim to assess personal protective equipment (PPE)-related side effects and both physical and psychological effects among healthcare workers (HCWs) caring for COVID-19 patients. Methods The present cross-sectional questionnaire-based study on a well-structured questionnaire consisting of 24 questions was utilized to collect information concerning the participants' demographic characteristics, personal experiences of PPE-related side effects, and the physical and psychological effects they encountered during their work. The study involved an online data collection process from 114 healthcare workers who had experience working in COVID-19 settings while using personal protective equipment. We adhered to relevant EQUATOR guidelines to report Results A total of 114 HCWs participated in the survey. A total of 57.1% of HCWs were vaccinated, and 36.3% reported being infected with COVID-19. Among the study respondents, 68.1% reported discomfort, 33% anxiety and 23.1% apprehension as the state of mind after donning PPE. A total of 30.8% of HCWs reported that they were uncomfortable in < 1 hr of wearing PPE, 46.2% reported at least ≤ 12 hrs., time for psychological restoration after a COVID-19 duty shift, 17.6% of HCWs reported being worried about the risk of getting infected, and 28.6% of HCWs were extremely worried about the risk of infecting family members while on COVID duty. Approximately 76.9% of HCWs suffered from suffocation, 68.1% were drenched with sweating, 23% with skin redness and rashes, and 57.1% reported > 12 hrs. of time to restore physically after a COVID-19 duty shift. Conclusion Wearing PPE has a negative psychological and physical effect on HCWs on COVID-19 duty. Through analysing the achievements and setbacks of public health measures aimed at safeguarding health care workers amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, we can derive valuable insights to fortify our response to future pandemics.